View Full Version : Need some advice...



warreng88
05-17-2010, 08:24 PM
I have some cousins coming into town and I have 2.5 days to show them all of OKC that I can. The issue is, they don't have a lot of money to spend. This is what I have come up with so far:

1. Bricktown (Banjo Museum, Bricktown Candy Company, boat ride)
2. Boathouse Row
3. Capital area
4. Midtown (lunch at Irma's milkshake at Kaiser's)
5. Eischen's
6. Big Truck Tacos
7. Automobile Alley
8. University of Oklahoma (Campus Corner)

What else would you all recommend?

dmoor82
05-17-2010, 09:02 PM
Long drive to #4!ok sorry back to Your question,umm let's see Frontier City,OmniDome,Oklahoma River Boat cruise,and many OKC metro Lakes!

Steve
05-17-2010, 09:11 PM
I'd go for unique OKC area attractions, which clearly you're doing. Land Run Monument obviously is free. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum is a good stop. So is the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and the Oklahoma City National Memorial.

Peach fuzz
05-17-2010, 09:44 PM
The underground tunnels in downtown... love the way the tunnels are lit up.
Paseo? maybe save that when they have a festival.

khook
05-17-2010, 09:57 PM
pops on round 66 and the round barn

wsucougz
05-17-2010, 09:57 PM
Historic Red Dog Cafe

dmoor82
05-18-2010, 06:00 AM
In my previous post#2-I stated that #4 was a long drive,I meant #5!in Okarche!my bad.

Zoedith
05-18-2010, 07:11 AM
When are they coming into town? The Paseo Arts Festival is Memorial Day weekend.

warreng88
05-18-2010, 07:37 AM
I'd go for unique OKC area attractions, which clearly you're doing. Land Run Monument obviously is free. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum is a good stop. So is the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and the Oklahoma City National Memorial.

We will tackle the Land Run Monument when we are in BT and definitely make it to the Memorial. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum we will try to work in.

warreng88
05-18-2010, 07:38 AM
When are they coming into town? The Paseo Arts Festival is Memorial Day weekend.

They come in the Thursday before Memorial Day, will be in town all day Friday, part of Saturday, Sunday evening and all day Monday.

kevinpate
05-18-2010, 07:40 AM
The underground tunnels in downtown... love the way the tunnels are lit up.
Paseo? maybe save that when they have a festival.

I'm not in town much in daytime hours. When does the Underground bolt up for the evening?

On locations, some would depend on their ages. And I do not know if there is one in OKC, but Sooner Mall in Norman now has a Glow in the Dark indoor mini golf offering, which my older teen son seems to be very happy about. It';s apparently in the space across from Old Navy on the north central part of the mall.

There are aspects of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum (still the Cowboy Hall of Fame to certain dinos like moi) for every age.

I know some here are not fond of bass Pro but it's an interesting store and I used to really enjoy the fishtanks and some rather nice a/c on hot days.

Some folks really like White Water and it should be open soon.

Lots of real golf opportunities if you like to muck up a nice walk with a dimpled white ball.

Just hanging at Draper or Hefner can be a good way to avoid others while enjoying catching up

PennyQuilts
05-18-2010, 07:45 AM
Zoo.
Paseo Festival.

And just let me throw in that OKC has great quilt shops. I'm just saying...

Kerry
05-18-2010, 07:51 AM
What are the age ranges warreng88?

metro
05-18-2010, 07:59 AM
Tour of the Asian District, AutoAlley, Arts District, Lake Hefner Wharf area, the Underground, Paseo, Pops might be cooler than taking them to Eichens, if you can give us their approximate ages, it may help us give better suggestions depending on if they are 12,21, or 30.

MsDarkstar
05-18-2010, 08:17 AM
Paseo Arts Festival is alot of fun and goes on during the evening hours with live music. The Oklahoma History Center is nice too, or the Harn Homestead (you could bring a picnic lunch).

PennyQuilts
05-18-2010, 08:20 AM
Are there any horse shows or rodeos going on at the fairgrounds?

warreng88
05-18-2010, 09:27 AM
What are the age ranges warreng88?

I am the oldest at 30. My cousins are 21 and 23.

warreng88
05-18-2010, 09:28 AM
Tour of the Asian District, AutoAlley, Arts District, Lake Hefner Wharf area, the Underground, Paseo, Pops might be cooler than taking them to Eichens, if you can give us their approximate ages, it may help us give better suggestions depending on if they are 12,21, or 30.

We plan on going to Eischens and Pops actually. AA and Lake Hefner are works in and with the Paseo Arts Festival going on that weekend, we might have to work it in. Never thought of the Underground, mostly because my wife works DT and doesn't like to go down there when she is off work, but hopefully we can work it in when we go to BT.

soonerfan21
05-18-2010, 09:40 AM
i think the Underground closes weekdays at either 6 or 7 pm and is not open on weekends. there should be hours posted somewhere?

okclee
05-18-2010, 10:01 AM
Indoor rock climbing? Okc rocks!

metro
05-18-2010, 10:15 AM
i think the Underground closes weekdays at either 6 or 7 pm and is not open on weekends. there should be hours posted somewhere?

The Undergound (http://www.downtownokc.com/Default.aspx?tabid=58)

BDP
05-18-2010, 10:23 AM
I'm always a proponent of going to the Paseo even when there isn't a festival. It is usually the most "surprising" thing to my out of town guests and is the best chance to show something unique.

Zoedith
05-18-2010, 10:32 AM
Are there any horse shows or rodeos going on at the fairgrounds?

The fair grounds has a computer show, the great plains regional rodeo, and a horse show.

Calendar | Oklahoma State Fair Park (http://calendar.okstatefairpark.com/default.aspx)


I think with the ages they are, that walking around the canal and enjoying the night life in Bricktown would be enjoyable.

metro
05-18-2010, 10:36 AM
No offense, but I don't think too many college age kids on their summer break want to go to a computer show or rodeo at our State Fairgrounds.

soonerguru
05-18-2010, 11:48 AM
Knowing their ages:

Bricktown
Midtown
Paseo (for the arts fest and otherwise)
Campus Corner and DT Noman (students leaving soon)
Asian District and Super Cao Nguyen
Lake Hefner area
OKC National Memorial
OKCMOA
Possibly Stockyards and Cowboy Museum, depending on their interests

Zoedith
05-18-2010, 02:01 PM
No offense, but I don't think too many college age kids on their summer break want to go to a computer show or rodeo at our State Fairgrounds.

No offense to me...I was just answering the question on what was going on at the fairgrounds.

Kerry
05-18-2010, 02:04 PM
Knowing their ages:

Bricktown
Midtown
Paseo (for the arts fest and otherwise)
Campus Corner and DT Noman (students leaving soon)
Asian District and Super Cao Nguyen
Lake Hefner area
OKC National Memorial
OKCMOA
Possibly Stockyards and Cowboy Museum, depending on their interests

That seems about right to me. You might consider a stop by Penn Square and Chesapeak Campus.

Peach fuzz
05-18-2010, 08:40 PM
i think the Underground closes weekdays at either 6 or 7 pm and is not open on weekends. there should be hours posted somewhere?

My girlfriend was an intern at the paseo last summer and when they have the festival they aslo open underground for the weekend and have things going on there... being that age group of the thread starters companions I would recommend paseo and try to ask a local if the underground is open. Maybe try some OKC ROCKS I know thats not the name but its really fun

Larry OKC
05-18-2010, 11:26 PM
OK, so what is the deal with the Underground?

I had heard some stuff that they were redoing it, cleaning it up etc. that it was this wealth of shops and eating places. I went down there when I had to serve jury duty and only found one eating place that had very limited hours and was already closed for the day (3 pm). I went thru 3 different colored "sections" and that was the only business I found. There were some interesting photos in a couple of places, but all in all, a huge disappointment. Certainly isn't anything I would take a visitor to see (from what I saw).

The map so fairly useless as it only showed what buildings the tunnel connected, not what businesses etc that were actually in the tunnels.

Peach fuzz
05-19-2010, 06:39 AM
You have to catch it when they promote it I guess... Last time I went down there it was 'poppin'

PennyQuilts
05-19-2010, 07:12 AM
No offense, but I don't think too many college age kids on their summer break want to go to a computer show or rodeo at our State Fairgrounds.

Yeah! Take them to a quilt shop where stuff is happening.

HOT ROD
05-19-2010, 07:32 AM
some great ideas here, and sounds like warren has a good little list going.

I think it should suffice for 2.5 days in the city. Maybe one more thing might be to see if you could go inside the Ford Center - especially if your visitors dont have an NBA team, it could be a good point to see (and hopefully return visit).

very interested in the follow-up, what did you do and what did they think.

Enjoy.

Peach fuzz
05-19-2010, 08:33 AM
Heh you could always go storm chasing

onthestrip
05-19-2010, 09:37 AM
There are some pretty good suggestions here but I have to question a few of them. Is it cool or a good time for young adults to go walk around the underground? Go to the Ford Center when there is no event? Check out Chesapeakes campus or visit Super Cao Nguyen? I think some of you are reaching for ideas. When Im bored or have friends in town I have never thought to go to any of these places.

metro
05-19-2010, 10:14 AM
Good points onthestrip, if they were younger some of those might be okay. Maybe hanging at Cuppies & Joe or something would be cooler than seeing the empty Ford Center or the Underground, unless they were down there during the business day.

Downtowner405
05-20-2010, 08:19 AM
1. Water Taxi on the Bricktown Canal
2. OKC National Memorial
3. Stockyards
4. Cowboy Hall of Fame

warreng88
05-29-2010, 07:15 AM
Update:

My cousins got here Thursday night so we just sat and chatted for a while then went to sleep.

Friday we woke up, went to my gym, came home, made breakfast and got ready. When we were done, we went and walking around Bricktown (which they absolutely loved), Chesapeake Boathouse and future boathouses, drove up Lincoln passing the medical district and the Capital. We came back down to BT and toured the Banjo Museum. We headed out to Okarche for an early dinner at Eischen's (which they were craving by the time we left) came back to the city, toured the bombing memorial and walked a little around downtown. After that, I drove them around the Chesapeake campus. This morning we are going to tour my uncle's church, BTT for lunch, then down to Norman for the tour of the OU campus.

Larry OKC
05-29-2010, 10:14 PM
it is interesting what passes as a tourist spot from time to time. Wish I had bought it, but one day I found this old Souvenier plate of Oklahoma and it had the typical stuff on it (Capital building, Oil derrick, Will Rogers etc)
&
the Turner Turnpike!

warreng88
06-21-2010, 09:56 AM
Sorry it took so long to reply, but this is what we did while they were in town.

Thursday night, my cousins got in and I gave them an idea of what we were going to do the next day.

Friday we started out going to Bricktown. I drove them over the Walnut Bridge explaining the brownstones, Maywood Lofts and DD Apts. We drove and parked by Toby Keith's, walked along the canal up to Bourbon Street. Then we walked up to Sheridan and continued walking east, turning right past the ballpark. While we were walking, I explained to them the concept behind MAPS, what was built with it, I-40 relocation as well as the popular attractions like ACM@UCO, Red Pin Bowling Lounge, Toby Keith's, Harkins, among others. Later that day, we went back to the Banjo Museum. After walking through BT, I drove them down to Boathouse Row where we toured the Chesapeake Boathouse then walked down passing the other boathouses and taking pictures. We then drove home passing the Medical District and the Capital. I took them out to Eischen's for dinner which was a really nice drive and they loved the chicken. We came back to the city and went to Sarasara cupcakes for dessert and then to the OKC National Memorial. They were in awe of the memorial, the meaning behind the chairs and our knowledge that went along with it. Since it was still nice out and not too dark, we walked around downtown a little and I explained to them Project 180 and the Devon Tower. To top off the evening, I drove them around the Chesapeake Campus. When we got home, I pulled up the renderings of the Devon Tower, Myriad Gardens and Boathouse Row (all on okctalk.com of course.) They really liked that they could see what it is supposed to look like in the future.

Saturday, we went to Big Truck Tacos for lunch, then went down to tour the OU Campus. We made our way to Campus Corner to walk around and went to Sooner Rocks for a quick snack. From there, we went back to Ada to see my family.

Sunday, we went to church, then lunch in Ada, then came back to OKC. I drove them around the Nichols Hills area, Classen Curve and then we went to Hideaway for dinner. After dinner, we went back to Bricktown to go on the canal taxi. They bluntly told me I ruined the canal cruise for them because I had already previously explained everything our tour guide explained.

Monday, we went to Pops, the Paseo Arts Festival and Penn Square Mall (where one of my cousins got an OU hat and the other got a Thunder hat.) We had a cookout that evening with some of my wife's family and then we went out to Lake Hefner. We parked at the overflow parking lot on the east side of the lake and walked up to the lighthouse, hung out and took a lot of pictures.

One of my cousins is starting Med School in the fall and would seriously consider moving here because of all the great facilities we have here. My other cousin wants to move here NOW! He loves it here and is already planning on flying back in to visit in the fall. He said he wants to experience an Oklahoma winter. I told him not to come here in the first or second week in December because that is usually when we have our ice storms.

SkyWestOKC
06-21-2010, 10:06 AM
Sounds like you guys had fun. Thanks for the report!